Polly Holliday, known for her role as Flo in “Alice,” has died at age 88.
The actress was the last surviving star of the beloved CBS sitcom, which ran for nine seasons from 1976 to 1985.
Polly Holliday as Flo alongside Vic Tayback as diner owner Mel Sharples; Philip McKeon as Alice’s son, Tommy; Linda Lavin as Alice Hyatt; and Beth Howland as Vera in a promotional shot for “Alice” on Jan. 1, 1979. CBS via Getty Images
Polly Holliday poses for a portrait circa 1985. Getty ImagesHolliday passed away at her home in New York on Tuesday, Sept. 9, following years of health issues, her theater agent Dennis Aspland confirmed to The Post.
It’s believed her death is the result of pneumonia, according to People.
The Post has reached out to Aspland for comment.
The actress played Flo, the sassy character in “Alice” for four seasons alongside Linda Lavin (Alice), Vic Tayback (Mel), Beth Howland (Vera) and Philip McKeon (Tommy).
Holliday left the sitcom, based on Martin Scorsese’s film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” in 1980, but Flo’s famous catchphrase “Kiss my grits” made her a breakout star.
Polly Holliday as Flo, Linda Lavin as Alice and Beth Howland as Vera in a 1979 episode. CBS via Getty Images
Promotional portrait of Polly Holiday as Flo for her the 1980 spinoff. Getty Images
Polly Holliday at the Longacre Theatre circa October 2003. WireImageShe continued playing Flo in her own spinoff series the following year, but it was short-lived, only lasting two seasons.
Holliday earned four Emmy nominations for the role.
The Alabama native’s other notable acting gigs included playing Mrs. Deagle in the 1984 flick “Gremlins” and Marva Sr. in the 1998 classic “The Parent Trap.”
Polly Holliday MediaPunch / BACKGRID
Polly Holliday appears outside the 46th Street Theatre, where she starred in “Arsenic and Old Lace,” on July 15, 1986. APShe also had parts in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “The Golden Girls” and “Home Improvement,” among others.
Holliday studied piano and graduated from the Alabama State College for Women (now known as University of Montevallo). She later became a grade school music teacher, but always had the acting bug.
“I started acting long before I knew what I was doing,” she told Actors’ Equity. “At age 19 and a junior in college, I joined the cast of a summer outdoor theatre in North Carolina called Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama Center. I was a choir singer, a square dancer and understudied a lead role . . . That job paid room and board and about $40 a week.”
Polly Holliday, center, and Vic Tayback, left, appear with actor Danny DeVito after receiving their Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, California, on Jan. 26, 1980. APDustin Hoffman gave Holliday her first big break in 1974 when he directed her in her Broadway debut, “All Over Town.”
The actor even helped her get a part in “All the President’s Men,” and the 1976 movie’s casting director suggested she audition for “Alice.”
Holliday later returned to Broadway in “Arsenic and Old Lace” (1986) and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance as Big Mama in a 1990 revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
Polly Holliday on the set of “Home Improvement” on March 17, 1993. Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesIn 1980, Holliday revealed how playing Flo reminded her of her roots.
“After I discovered theater, I became very abrupt with my people back home,” she said. “But Flo helped me fall in love with my roots. She’s so honest. I became honest too.”
Following her stint as Flo, Holliday landed a role on CBS’s “Private Benjamin” as Major Amanda Lee Allen when star Eileen Brennan suffered injuries in a car crash.
Polly Holliday MediaPunch / BACKGRID“I was assured I’d come on as a guest star, not as Eileen’s replacement,” Holliday shared with People at the time. “I hated to get a job at the expense of someone’s misfortune, but a lot of other people’s jobs were at stake. I didn’t want to see the show fold.”
Holliday never married or had any children, revealing in the ’80s that “my work is my life.”
Her death comes just months after her “Alice” co-star Linda Lavin’s passing.
The Emmy-winning actress died on Dec. 29 at age 87.
Polly Holiday at “Ellen Burstyn Celebrates a Lifetime of Photographs” at the Uma Gallery in Midtown. FilmMagicLavin’s death certificate revealed she suffered cardiopulmonary arrest, with lung cancer listed as the underlying cause.
Cardiopulmonary arrest prevents blood from pumping into the heart, which keeps oxygen from being delivered to vital organs, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Their other original “Alice” co-stars have all passed, making Holliday the last to go.
Tayback died in 1990 from a heart attack at 60, while Howland died in 2015 from lung cancer. McKeon, who played Alice’s son, died unexpectedly in 2019 at age 55.






